Electric switch



Aug. 17, 1965 w. A. BARDEN ETAL. 3,200,657

ELECTRIC SWITCH Filed Sept. 27, 1962 v 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS WAYNEA. BARDEN MERVIN B. ARISMAN BY 45W AT TO RNEY Aug. 17, 1965 W../\.BARDEN ETAL 3,200,657

ELECTRIC SWITCH Filed Sept. 27, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIG. 8.

INVENTORS WAYNE A. BARDEN MERVIN B. ARISMAN ATTORNEY United StatesPatent 3,200,657 ELECTRHZ SWITCH Wayne A. Barden and Mervin B. Arisman,Elkhart, Ind,

assignors to CTS Corporation, Elkhart, Ind., a corporation of IndianaFiled Sept. 27, 1962, Ser. No. 226,566 4 Claims. (CI. 74-99) Thisinvention relates to apparatus for operating an electric switchgenerally and in particular to an apparatus which operates a rotaryswitch with a push-push rectilinear motion.

By push-push motion is meant a motion where the actuating member of theapparatus is moved in the same direction each time to either turn theswitch on or oii.

It is an object of this invention to provide a novel mechanism foroperating a rotary switch with a pushpush rectilinear motion.

It is an additional object of this invention to provide an operatingmechanism which does not interfere with the operating features of theswitch i.e. if the switch is that type which snaps into position themechanism will not prevent the snap action from occurring. It is afurther object of the invention to provide a push-push switch operatingmechanism which employs a minimum number of parts which are economicalto build and as semble.

The invention employs a push rod which is arranged for reciprocatingrectilinear motion. The push rod has an opening which is designed toengage two arms on a pivotally mounted switch actuating mechanism andcause it to oscillate on its pivot and thereby impart rotary motion tothe switch cam.

The invention is described in detail below in connection with theaccompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front view of a switch actuating mechanism mounted on aswitch.

FIGURE 2 is a side view of the mechanism and a cross-sectional view ofthe switch of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a view taken along lines 3-3 of FIG- URE 2 showing theswitch in a closed position.

FIGURE 4 is a view taken along lines 33 of FIG- URE 2 showing the switchin a open position.

FIGURES 5-9 are diagrammatic plan views of the principal parts of theactuating mechanism showing the relative positions of the operatingmember as it moves through one cycle of movement.

The operating mechanism is mounted on the switch by means of theU-shaped mounting bracket which has two arms 11 and 12 and a bightportion 13. The bight portion 13 is attached to the cup-shaped metalcover 14 of the switch 15 by means of tangs 66.

Before proceeding with the description of the operating mechanism, thestructure and operation of the switch will be described. The inventionis not limited to use with this particular switch, but will work equallyas well with any switch which employs a rotating actuating member.

The switch illustrated is of the rotary snap-action type. That is, it isoperated by rotary motion of the operating switch cam 16. The snapaction will be apparent from the description.

The cam 16 which operates the switch is rotatably mounted on the reducedsection 19 of the switch pivot pin 17 and is maintained in place by theshoulder 24 and the upset end 21 of the pin 17.

The cam consists of two flat end members 27 and 28 which are integrallyconnected by the member 29. The two end members are rotatably mounted onthe pivot pin 17, with the end member 27 located outside and the endmember 28 located inside the cover 14. The end member 28 has a tab 30which is provided with a hole 38 "ice through which extends one end ofthe spring 18. The end member 27 of the cam 16 is bifurcated to engagethe flange 40 on the actuator 41.

Also rotatably mounted on the pivot pin 17 is the contact carrier 31. Itis made of non-conductive material and is held in position against thestationary contacts 32 and 33 by the spring 18. The pivot pin and thestationary contacts are in turn attached to the base 22 by upsettingtheir ends. The stationary contacts have the terminals 34 and 35 placedover them before their ends are upset so that they also serve to mountthe terminals to the base. The base in turn is held in position againstthe rolled over end of the cover 14 by the indentations 23.

Located between the base 22 and the contact carrier 31 is the movablecontact 25. It is not actually carried by the contact carrier but bymeans of lug 36 on the contact which extends into the small opening 37provided therefor in the contact carrier. The movement of the contactcarrier is transmitted to the contact. The free end of the contact ispositioned by the two lugs 36 on the contact which extend into the largeopenings 37 to guide the contact toward the stationary contacts 32 and33. The contact is maintained in position longitudinally by the base andthe contact carrier and is firmly held between the two members by thedownward spring force exerted on the contact carrier by the spring 18,one end of which extends through the hole 39 in the contact carrier. InFIGURE 4 the switch is open. To close it the cam 16 is rotated clockwisemoving lug 30 to the position shown in FIGURE 3. This causes the spring18 to move the contact carrier laterally which in turn moves the contact25 toward the stationary contacts 32 and 33. Actually the cam must beforcefully moved only part of the way since the switch is designed sothat the spring will snap the switch closed after the cam is moved alittle more than half way between the positions shown. For this reasonit is important that the cam be free to rotate faster than the memberrotating it. This same snap action occurs when the switch is opened. Thespring in other words has an over center action and once it has passedtop dead center, it will move the parts to a new position in order torelieve the stress built up in it.

The switch cam, as stated above, has oneend member 27 which is locatedoutside the cover 14 and which is engaged by the flange 40 on switchactuator 41. The switch actuator is arranged to pivot around the pin 42which in turn is located on the member 65 which holds the actuator inposition adjacent the push rod 43. The actuator is equipped with anelongated opening 49 to receive the pin for purposes which will bedescribed below. The push rod is reciprocally mounted in the bracket 10.It extends through a slot 44 in the arm 11 and has two spaced fingers 45and 46 which slide in slots formed by the cars 47 and 48 in arm 12. Theend of the rod between the two fingers 45 and 46 engages the arm 12 onthe down stroke of the rod and limits its travel in that direction.

The switch actuator has two spaced parallel arms 50 and 51 which extendoutward from the actuator into the opening 52 in the push rod. Theconfiguration of the opening 52 and its relationship to the arms 50 and51 on the actuator provide the unique motion of this invention. Theopening can best be described by dividing it into three sections: a topsection 53 which is rectangular; a middle section 54 which is alsorectangular but which is wider than the top section to provide the twoshoulders 55 and 56; and the bottom section 57 which is in the shape ofan inverted truncated cone which provides the two inclined surfaces 62and 63.

Completing the assembly is the coil spring 58 which is compressedbetween the upper end of the opening 53 and the switch actuator 41.Whereas the downward travel of the pushrod is limited by the arm 12,upward travel is stopped when the two inclined surfaces 62 and 63 engagethe arms 56 and 51. The function of the spring is to return the push rodto this position. The spring is held in place by the spring guides 60and 6]..

Operation and cam means carried by the operating member for moving thepivotal axis of the switch actuating member laterally when the operatingmember moves in the opposite direction so that the means carried by theoperating member engages the other side of the switch actuatingmember-thereby imparting an oscillating and lateral motion to the switchactuating member with repeated movements of ,theoperating 'member. V

2. A switch actuating mechanism comprising switch operating means, asupporting member, a switch actuator pivotally supported on thesupporting member and arranged to rotate the switch operating meansfroma first engage and to hold the elongated hole 49 against the pin 42as the actuator rotates.

As the rod continues downward the actuator pivots around the pin 42 androtates the switch cam 16 to the open position as shown in FIGURE 7. Atthis point the shoulder 55 is not in engagement with the actuator cam5i? because actually when the switch spring 18 passes over dead centerit snaps the switch open and moves the cam to the position shown inFIGURE 7 with no further urging by thepush rod. This is an importantfeature of the invention in that the actuating mechanism does notinterfere with the snap action of the switch.

In FiGURE 8, the push rod 43 has been released and the spring 53 isreturning it to its uppermost position. As the rod travels upward theinclined side 62 of the conical section 57 engages the arm 56. The angleof theside 62 is such that it cannot rotate the switch actuator but itcan move it laterally so that the elongated hole 49 moves across the pin42 and stops against the other end. This position is shown in FIGURE 9.

The mechanism is now in position to close the switch with the nextdownward stroke of the push rod. When this occurs the shoulder 56engagesthe shoulder'51, rotating the actuator around the pin 42 in aclockwise'direction thereby closing the switch. On the return stroke ofthe push rod the inclined side 63 engages the arm 51 and moves theactuator laterally to the position shown in FIG- URE 5 and cycle iscomplete.

As is clear from the above description, this invention provides a uniqueand novel mechanism for operating a rotary type snap switch with apush-push rectilinear motion.

The invention claimed is:

l. A mechanism for operating a rotary switch with a reciprocal motioncomprising:

a supporting member;

a switch actuating member pivotally mounted on the supporting member; anoperating member reciprocally carried by the supporting member in aplane parallel to the plane of the switch actuating member;

means carried by the operating member arranged to engage only one sideof the switch actuating member upon movement of the operating member inone direction;

position to a second position for opening and closing a switch, a pairof arms attached to the switch actuator, the actuator being providedwith an elongated aperture, a pivot pin extending upwardly of thesupporting member and disposed in the elongated aperture, an operatingmember reciprocally carried bythe supporting member, a pair of shouldersintegral with the operating member for engaging the. arms of the switchactuator whereby upon moving the operating member in one direction oneof the shoulders engages one of the arms of the switch actuator forpivoting the switch actuator from 'a first position to a secondposition, and cam means carried by the operating member and arranged toshift the pivotal axis of the switch actuator from one side of theelongated aperture tothe other sidethereof upon movement of theactuating member in the other direction. V

3. The mechanism of claim 2, wherein the operating member is providedwith an elongated opening, and the arms of the switch actuator aredisposed in the elongated opening. I

4. In an electric switch, the combination of a movable contact, anactuator operably associated with the movable contact and pivotallymovable between a first actuating position and a, second actuatingposition, an operating member movable between a first position and asecond position, and first means carried by the operating member forpivoting the actuator back and-forth between the first actuatingposition and the second actuating position responsive to repeatedmovement of the operating member between the first position and thesecond position the improvement comprising cam means carried bythe-operating member for shifting the pivotal'axis of the actuator from-a first axis to a second axis after the actuator has been pivoted fromthe first actuating position to the second actuating position by thefirst means.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 211,600 1/79Snediker 74l00 1,246,646 11/17 Pape 74-100 1,354,955 10/20 Clark 74-1002,042,369 5/36 Von Kilian 200153.9 X 2,044,065 6/36 Douglas 200153.9 X2,529,970 11/50 SChmid 74-100 X 2,810,031 10/57 Hellstrom 74100 XBROUGHTON G. DURHAM, Primary Examiner.

1. A MECHANISM FOR OPERATING A ROTARY SWITCH WITH A RECIPROCAL MOTIONCOMPRISING: A SUPPORTING MEMBER; A SWITCH ACTUATING MEMBER PIVOTALLYMOUNTED ON THE SUPPORTING MEMBER; AN OPERATING MEMBER RECIPROCALLYCARRIED BY THE SUPPORTING MEMBER IN A PLANE PARALLEL TO THE PLANE OF THESWITCH ACTUATING MEMBER; MEANS CARRIED BY THE OPERATING MEMBER ARRANGEDTO ENGAGE ONLY ONE SIDE OF THE SWITCH ACTUATING MEMBER UPON MOVEMENT OFTHE OPERATING MEMBER IN ONE DIRECTION; AND CAM MEANS CARRIED BY THEOPERATING MEMBER FOR MOVING THE PIVOTAL AXIS OF THE SWITCH ACTUATINGMEMBER LATERALLY WHEN THE OPERATING MEMBER MOVES IN THE OPPOSITEDIRECTION SO THAT THE MEANS CARRIED BY THE OPERATING MEMBER ENGAGES THEOTHER SIDE OF THE SWITCH ACTUATING MEMBER THEREBY IMPARTING AN OSCILTHEOPPOSITE DIRECTION SO THAT THE MEANS CARRIED BY THE OPERATING MEMBERENGAGES THE OTHER SIDE OF THE SWITCH ACTUATING MEMBER THEREBY IMPARTINGAN OSCIL-